The opening ceremony included many distinguished guests including Huang Qifan, mayor of Chongqing, Alan Mulally, president and CEO of Ford, Xu Liuping, vice general manager of China South Industries Group Corporation, Marin Burela, president & CEO of Changan Fordand Luo Minggang, executive vice president of Changan Ford.

Located in Lijia, in Chongqing’s New Northern Zone, the plant site covers an area of more than 400,000 square meters, of which nearly 165,000 square meters is taken up by the engine plant itself. With an initial capacity of 400,000 units, the new Changan Ford Engine Plant (CAFEP) more than doubles Changan Ford’s engine production capacity of 350,000, boosting the total capacity to 750,000 units. This is the latest step in Changan Ford’s historic industrial expansion, which will help to meet rapidly growing demand in the region’s developing markets.

As Ford’s largest engine plant in the Asia Pacific region, CAFEP’s advanced production line and cutting edge manufacturing processes fulfill the promise of “Quality, Green, Safe, Smart” products.

Thanks to Ford’s Minimal Quantity Lubrication process, the plant eliminates the need for coolant systems across most of the engine production line, reducing energy use, and creating a safer and healthier work environment by reducing airborne mist.

CAFEP also has the most advanced, environmental facilities, strictly adhering to Ford’s single manufacturing operation system to boost efficiency and lower overall production costs while minimizing the impact on the environment.

“The Changan Ford Engine Plant is an important step in Changan Ford’s growth strategy to bring the best, most fuel-efficient, and most exciting cars to the Chinese market. But more than this, I am proud of the contribution it will make to Chongqing, a city that is both our partner and our home. It brings new and exciting jobs, leading edge environmental standards, as well as good will and evidence of our strong partnership with the city of Chongqing,” said Burela.

Changan Ford will initially manufacture two engines at the plant - a 1.5-liter twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) four-cylinder engine, and Ford’s award-winning 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine, which was recently named International Engine of the Year for the second year in a row. The all-new Ford EcoSport and Fiesta models will be equipped with these engines.

“By continuously introducing new models into China, Changan Ford has stepped into a fast track of development in recent years. Sales have been increasing rapidly, with year–to-date growth of 71 percent from January to May, which is far more than the average passenger car market growth rate. With the bright prospects of the consumer market in China, the opening of CAFEP will support the rapid growth of both Changan Ford and its competition in the Chinese market, while providing more high quality products to our customers.” said Minggang.

With the new engine plant, the two existing assembly plants in Chongqing, together with the forthcoming transmission plant, Ford is improving the layout of the manufacturing base in China to make it Ford’s largest manufacturing base outside of its home state of Michigan.

Ford Motor Company's premier wiki...holding all the links your fellow
employees thought were important for you to reference. Add more
links to the index, edit existing links that you see may have an error,
and delete old links that no longer are accessible.